Recently some Akitas were rescued from a mill closing down--these dogs are currently at BEAR. There is another auction coming up, and there will be more Akitas up for auction, as well as a number of Shibas. Please consider donating even a few dollars to help the rescues who are trying to save these dogs from a horrible life in the mills. The next auction is Nov. 2, and I believe there are something like 30 Shiba up for sale, as well as some Akita.

Thanks @ShibaMistress! I actually just contacted MSIR about volunteering/driving for them, but I think I might donate $$ for the auction as well. I just think of the things I've had to help Rooney overcome and his situation was still better than a full on mill and it just breaks my heart. :((=((

It really is heartbreaking. Zacs mission has some heartbreaking videos of the Akitas being taken of the pens they are kept in. They are kept in "calf pens" a narrow walled enclosure. Most of the Akitas were too scared to come out, and they couldn't walk on the grass (they didn't know what it was). some had to be carried out. It was truly awful, and awful for ALL dogs who go through this....

The auction is Saturday, and there are 43 Shibas up for auction, far more than the involved rescues probably have money to buy. But as someone on Shibaholics noted, if everyone there gave just $2, they would have plenty of money to try to rescue Shibas and some for vetting the dogs too. We also have a lot of members, so even if all people can give is a couple of dollars, it would have a huge effect on the rescues involved.

One more. They really need $ TODAY, October 31, so they can buy as many of these dogs as possible and get them out of cages and a life of misery and into homes. Also, if you are concerned about buying dogs from mills (a legitimate concern) please read MSIR's statement on this, pasted from their FB page (below):

From MSIR:

Midwest Shiba Inu Rescue added 11 new photos.Remember these sweet faces? All of them at one time or another were in commercial breeding operations. We realize that many people do not support rescues participating in puppy mill auctions and there are questions as to why MSIR is now involved. The auction that is to be held this coming Saturday is from a commercial breeder who is going out of business, partially due to changes with state and USDA regulations. Simply put, little by little, voices are being heard by animal lovers who are fighting against puppy mills.

MSIR became involved because there are 49 Shibas listed for sale at the auction. That is 49 Shibas who have a chance to experience life in a loving home. That is 49 Shibas who will no longer be part of the puppy mill system, forced to be bred over and over while living in deplorable conditions. That is 49 Shibas other commercial breeders will not have access to if MSIR and other rescue groups are able to save them.

MSIR in no way supports purchasing dogs from commercial breeders, but when an auction is held due to a commercial breeder going out of business, it is our responsibility to the Shibas to help.

Although we are expecting to see an influx of dogs due to the auction, MSIR will not be over-looking other dogs in need of homes. As long as we have volunteers, foster homes and financial ability, MSIR will help as many Shibas as we possibly can.

Also, all of the rescues will happily take money for the dogs they already have, if you would prefer not to donate directly to the auction itself. Most rescues (like MSIR, etc), say that if you want your $ to go to the auction, make a note of that (say for the mill dogs, or whatever).

bumping this again. While the rescues are delighted at the donations they've got, they are at the auction now and the dogs are going for more than expected. There are also a lot of Amish at the auction to buy dogs for their mills. Amish mills are some of the worst of the worst. PLEASE help if you can--we don't want these Shibas to go from one puppy mill to yet another, which will likely even be worse!

I cringed when the Amish were brought up. Maybe the worst of the worst. There was a recent bust of a Amish mill just north of where I live. The Township did just about everything they could to shut them down...yet allowed the relatives of the family(who were shut down) to buy the dogs!!! So from one hell to another...and most likely, to a certain extent, back into the hands of the original offenders. Insane!!!

I've been trying to understand the laws in these parts, and why the OSPCA(Ontario, Canada) wasn't allowed to seize the dogs. It's beyond me.

Just glad there was a platform for these Shibas/Akitas to be rescued, no matter how morbid dog auctions actually are!!

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

I cringed when the Amish were brought up. Maybe the worst of the worst. There was a recent bust of a Amish mill just north of where I live. The Township did just about everything they could to shut them down...yet allowed the relatives of the family(who were shut down) to buy the dogs!!! So from one hell to another...and most likely, to a certain extent, back into the hands of the original offenders. Insane!!!

I've been trying to understand the laws in these parts, and why the OSPCA(Ontario, Canada) wasn't allowed to seize the dogs. It's beyond me.

Just glad there was a platform for these Shibas/Akitas to be rescued, no matter how morbid dog auctions actually are!!

I don't know....I know in the US the mills are a legal business, and the requirements for "humane" treatment for the dogs is really pretty awful, except I suppose if those laws weren't in place, it would be even worse. And they also can get citation after citation without being shut down.....

It really is horrible. But I'm glad these dogs got out. there are a lot of pics of the dogs on Shibaholics, and people were noting how even the puppies, so young, are afraid to come out of the crates, and someone was saying how can they be so young and so afraid? Because they've already suffered trauma, both in the womb and in their very young lives. There's a link in the puppy mill thread about this, but there were some studies that were showing how stress hormones from fearful and/or traumatized bitches effect puppies before the pups are even born, and of course mill puppies get that. So even with the pups, it's going to be a long road with these dogs, but the puppies will probably come around sooner than the adult dogs. Still, they're going to need patient families, who are well educated about Shibas.....They were saved, thankfully, but their journeys have just begun...

Go visit the Tri-State Shiba Rescue FB and Save Me Scout FB. Pictures of some of the rescued dogs already posted and updates. Apparently, Tracy with MSIR negotiated with one of the breeders and Save Me Scout wound up with additional dogs. (Originally, they just had one possibly pregnant girl from the auction.)

Midwest Shiba Inu Rescue3 hours ago · EditedIt is time for us to issue you, our supporters and volunteers, a giant THANK YOU for your help over this past week. Countless volunteers stepped up to foster and transport dogs and over $10,000 was donated to MSIR to help this effort - to save shibas from life in a puppy mill. Working with 3 other shiba rescues, 34 shibas were saved from the auction this weekend and will begin to know the good life. From the bottom of our shiba-loving hearts, we thank you. And 34 shibas thank you too - with Tri-State Shiba Inu Rescue Inc., NW Shibas4LIfe Rescue, & Save Me Scout Rescue

Just saw on the Tri-State Shiba Inu Rescue Facebook page that one of the rescues from the auction, Malea, is pregnant. From the ultrasound, it looks like 5 of them. What a sneaky girl helping rescue save 5 more lives from a life locked in a tiny mill cage. Smart girl!

There was another puppy mill auction last weekend in Missouri. Two rescues were able to pull 7 Shibas out of the 10 up for auction. That's 7 very lucky Shibas going to loving forever homes instead of back into a new puppy mill. Two of the girls pulled were 8 years old and still being bred!

@BanjoTheBetaDogI'm not completely sure. One of the volunteers for ALB said "We went over budget a little so if anyone can donate...it will help with the fees as well as vetting." She didn't give a specific number, so I would say whatever you are comfortable with donating. Every little bit helps and I'm sure they have received other donations since the auction. Even $5 donations add up.

SOOOOO many Shibas and Siberian huskies. And lots of Cream Shibas on top of that. I will have to check out Save Me Scout on Facebook to see how they do. Hoping they get most of them. There are so many though. :(

Save Me Scout sent out a reminder. To donate to Save Me Scout, go to PayPal to send a payment and send it to savemescout@yahoo.com. Indicate that this is for "family and friends" and in the "message" section put "for puppy mill auction". Save Me Scout is a 501c3 organization so the donation is tax deductible.

@sukoshi's mom, I was just going to post the same thing! Great minds. ;)

Where they're going: 14 Shibas headed to Save Me Scout in CO, 8 Shibas on their way to Tri-State Shiba Inu Rescue, and 3 going to Second Hand Hound in MN. Looks like they got a good number of the ones that were on the auction billet.

And an Akita rescue got the Akitas too, but I don't know which Akita rescue. If anyone knows, post it. I'm trying to post links to all the rescues that took in dogs to drum up some more donations for the rescue groups.